February 6

Journey-through-the-Bible-with-us

READING FOR FEBRUARY 6, 2025: JUDGES 11, MATTHEW 4, PSALM 3                                JUDGES 11 Jephthah was the son of Gilead (this word refers to this father and also an area east of the Jordan River) and a prostitute. He also had a reputation as a mighty warrior. Keep these two factors about Jephthah in mind as we proceed with this story.  Gilead’s other sons were born in wedlock. They refused to allow Jephthah to receive the inheritance portion normally due to a son. On the surface this appears cruel, yet one might consider it in accordance with Mosaic law: "No one born out of wedlock or any descendant of such a person, even in the tenth generation, may be included among the Lord's people” (Deut. 23:2). Interestingly, Jephthah did not dispute this decision but fled the area. Perhaps due to his natural leadership abilities, he attracted a group of followers who also were outcasts from regular society. 

As we recall from chapter 10, the Ammonites had moved into Gilead to threaten the Israelites living there. In the market for a strong military leader, the elders of Gilead now asked Jephthah to lead their fight again Ammon. Jephthah, understandably miffed about being rejected by his family before, was hesitant to take on the job now that his skills were suddenly needed. He asked if he would be the leader if the Lord gives him the victory. They agreed.

Before launching into battle, Jephthah asked the Ammonites why they were threatening Gilead. The king of Ammon pointed to the time hundreds of years earlier when Moses took this land from Ammon in their exodus from Egypt. Jephthah painstakingly reviewed the details of how Moses sought to avoid war with Ammon to no avail. Forced into war, the Lord gave Moses victory over Ammon. Notice that historical accuracy is important. Facts matter. Christians must not believe anything that anyone says, but only that which is firmly rooted in verifiable truth. 

The text states that the Spirit of the Lord came over Jephthah, the illegitimate son of a prostitute. As Jesus said to Nicodemus centuries later: “The wind blows wherever it pleases... Soit is with everyone born of the Spirit.” (John 3:8). Despite this wonderful presence of the Holy Spirit, Jephthah makes a tragic vow to the Lord. He promises God that, if Ammon is defeated, he will offer as a burnt sacrifice whatever comes out of his house to meet him when he returns from battle. God gives the victory, but what first greets Jephthah is his only child, a young daughter. The girl amazingly urges her father to fulfill this vow. SAD! Let’s carefully think through the implications of the commitments we are considering making. SACRIFICING CHILDREN IS NOT GOD’S WILL: “You shall not worship the Lord your God in that way, for every abominable thing that the Lord hates they have done for their gods, for they even burn their sons and their daughters in the fire to their gods.” (Deut. 12:31). 

READINGS FOR FEBRUARY 6 CONTINUED: MATTHEW 4, PSALM 3      MATTHEW 4 It seems that the Holy Spirit wanted Jesus to be tempted by Satan in the wilderness, away from other human support, and in a physically weakened state after having fasted 40 days. Partly because of this, the writer of the Hebrews makes the accurate claim that Jesus is a high priest aware of our most extreme challenges in life (Heb. 4:15). No mention is made that the Holy Spirit left Jesus during these trials. This could be significant. Notice also that in fending off each attack of Satan, Jesus fought back with what Paul describes in Ephesians 4:17 as the sword of the Spirit: THE WORD OF GOD. That is one purpose of this Bible-reading plan—to equip us for the attacks of Satan that will certainly come our way. If Jesus depended on the Bible and, as it said in Heb.4:15, was without sin, perhaps we should follow His example.

  • Temptation 1—Satan, aware of Jesus’s great physical hunger, asked Jesus to turn stone into bread. Jesus used this opportunity to declare that every Word of God (not just the parts we like) is the more necessary to our life than food.
  • Temptation 2—Satan, knowing that Jesus could perform miracles, asked Jesus to jump off the top of the temple. Jesus, who later fed the thousands, healed the sick, and calmed the sea to serve others, did not do miracles just to prove Himself by recklessly placing himself in harm’s way and then expecting to be bailed out.
  • Temptation 3—Satan was possibly aware of Jesus’s plan to defeat him at the cross, albeit through the most painful experience possible. He gave Jesus the option of an earthly Kingdom without the pain, if He would just worship Satan. Jesus, committed to His mission and the much greater Kingdom of God, submitted to that longer-term mission and pain because of His obedience and His joy in loving us (Heb. 12:2).                                   

Ponder these questions:                                                                                                                    1. Is our knowledge of the Bible sufficient to withstand a Satanic attack?                                                             2. Do we continually put ourselves in reckless situations and expect God to bail us out?                                      3. Does anything, such as food, success, or personal relations, mean more to us than our relationship with God?                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                             PSALM 4 David expressed these words while fleeing for his life from His son Absalom. The folks around David said even God could not save him this time. (I am afraid we can’t always count on others to give us good advice.) Not many of us have had such a dramatic encounter with our children. We have, however, had times of loss, sadness, or fear that overwhelm us. What did David do? 1) Cried out to the Lord; 2) Sought a Word from God; 3) Trusted in God and slept well; 4) Verbalized His confidence in God; and 5) Claimed that God had already smitten his enemies. On this point, remember Ephesian 6 says our enemies now aren’t people but spiritual forces. Since the cross, our weapons are spiritual in nature. Don’t hit anyone!